Chennai, Nov 7 (IANS) Tamil film superstar Rajinikanth, who has delighted audiences with his fine performances for over half a century, is be felicitated at the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), which is to be held from November 20 to 28 at Goa this year.

Rajinikanth is to be felicitated in the closing ceremony of the popular festival for completing 50 years of his cinematic journey.

IFFI 2025 will also celebrate centenaries and honour legendary filmmakers Guru Dutt, Raj Khosla, Ritwik Ghatak, P. Bhanumathi, Bhupen Hazarika, and Salil Chowdhury by showcasing their masterpieces.

Over 240 films from 81 countries are to be showcased at the festival this year. There will be 13 world premieres, four international premieres, and 46 Asian premieres at the festival. This year, the IFFI received a record 2,314 submissions from 127 countries, underscoring the festival’s growing prominence on the global festival circuit.

Minister of Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw said, “IFFI 2025 marks a significant chapter as it embraces inclusivity and diversity, showcasing voices from all corners of the world while spotlighting Indian regional cinema’s rich tapestry. By introducing programmes focused on emerging filmmakers and digital storytelling, IFFI is nurturing platforms that champion new talent and celebrate the evolution of filmmaking in the digital age.”

Brazilian auteur Gabriel Mascaro’s ‘The Blue Trail’, a sci-fi and fantasy feature which follows a 75-year-old woman whose defiant voyage through the Amazon becomes a quiet manifesto on freedom, dignity, and the right to dream will be the Opening Film of IFFI 2025. The film won the Silver Bear, Grand Jury Prize at the Berlin International Film Festival 2025.

Japan will be the Country of Focus for IFFI 2025.

Interestingly, director Rajkumar Periasamy’s Tamil film ‘Amaran’ will be the Opening Film for Indian Panorama in Feature and ‘Kakori’ for non-feature sections.

For Creative Minds of Tomorrow (CMOT), the number of selected participants have increased from 75 to 124, covering 13 filmmaking crafts, including three new crafts this year. The programme includes a 48-hour filmmaking challenge in collaboration with ShortsTV.

Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Anupam Kher, Christopher Charles Corbould, Aamir Khan, Ravi Varman, Kushboo Sundar, Bobby Deol, Suhasini Mani Ratnam, Pete Draper and Sreekar Prasad among others will have masterclasses at IFFI this year.

The festival will screen prominent international award winners and festival favorites, including titles that triumphed at Cannes, Berlinale, Locarno and Venice. Some of the films to be screened are ‘It Was Just An Accident’ (Palme d’Or, Cannes), ‘Father Mother Sister Brother’ (Golden Lion, Venice), ‘Dreams’ (sex Love) (Golden Bear, Berlin), ‘Sirât’ (Grand Jury Prize, Cannes), ‘The Message’ (Silver Bear, Jury Prize, Berlin), ‘No Other Choice’ (People’s Choice Award, TIFF), ‘Gloaming in Luomu’ (Best Film, Busan) and ‘Fiume o Morte!’ (Tiger Award, IFFR).

–IANS

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